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What a surprise: software updates don’t fix problems in hardware.

Check out our video above. An iPhone 4 running the 4.1 beta loses a couple of bars when held in a “death grip.”

The iPhone 4’s reception issues may get all the press, but there may be another big issue when it comes to iOS 4: a growing number of users are reporting that upon upgrading any iPhone to iOS 4, the performance and audio quality of Bluetooth headsets is vastly degraded.

The symptoms vary, but are usually reported as sounding “muffled,” “like you’re in a tunnel” or “far away” when using a Bluetooth headset with any iOS 4 device.

Users are also reporting significant issues over at the Jawbone forums, prompting a Jawbone spokesperson to comment:

We are aware of and concerned with the user frustration surrounding the issues affecting all Bluetooth devices (headsets, car kits, and speakers) connecting to the iPhone 4 and iOS4 updated phones. We know users have come to expect the freedom of hands-free and we are working night and day with our partners, Apple and AT&T, to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.”

It’s now been three weeks since iOS 4 went public, and I honestly can’t imagine going back to my past iPhone existence. Folders alone have simplified my life so much that I can’t remember how I ever dealt with seven screens of apps instead of two. Without a doubt, it provides a dramatically superior user experience to iPhone OS 3.1.2 on the 3GS (your mileage may vary on the 3G), as I noted in a review last month.

But that doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. You see, a flaw that wasn’t evident during the beta phase of iOS 4 has become abundantly clear as the majority of my apps have been upgraded for multitasking: keeping background apps in memory for fast app demolishes iPhone 3GS battery life. For all of Steve’s promises to deliver multitasking without battery problems, I now have to charge my iPhone by 8 p.m. to keep it functional through the evening, which I never did before. Without changing my behavior in the slightest — nor even using more advanced multitasking like background third-party audio and VoIP, my phone now needs its charger around at all times.

And, unfortunately, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the issues found on any 3GS running iOS 4 as it’s meant to be.

Tape is the cheapest DIY fix for the much-disputed iPhone 4 — even Consumer Reports recommends wrapping up your phone if you can’t get your hands on a bumper case.

Now you can do something good while fixing your phone: for $2, buy a roll of iTape on eBay and all of the proceeds for the quick fix go to the American Cancer Society. (It’s worth a visit to check out the iTape slide show, a nicely-done take on the iPhone 4 ads.)

Seller Jason Nolasco says:

“Yes, I will ship you a roll of tape in exchange for your assistance in fighting cancer. No, I can’t guarantee it will look like the picture. No, I don’t hate Apple. All in good fun. 100% of the proceeds go the American Cancer Society.”

We like.

According to a recent tweet published by the DevTeam member planetbeing, he and MuscleNerd have finally managed to unlock iPhone 4 using the ultrasn0w tool by DevTeam, thus allowing it to be used on any GSM network worldwide.

My soft-unlocked iPhone 4 (in Canada). I’ll have video in a couple of hours once I can top-up the SIM https://twitpic.com/24ycdv

Although not a permanent unlocking solution, it’s still a big deal for all the iPhone 4 owners as not only does it mean freedom from AT&T and its outrageous international roaming charges but also the ability to use it in countries other than the five where it has been officially released.

With the upcoming spirit jailbreak for iOS 4, it will be much easier to unlock the new device. However, they are waiting for Apple to release a firmware update (4.0.1 or 4.1) but once it’s released, the unlock will be released too.

@planetbeing via Redmond Pie

Apple has started to delete threads full of comments about the Consumer Reports article bashing the iPhone 4 antenna from its support forums.

Apple’s Discussion Forum censors went into overdrive today in what appears to be an attempt by Apple to squash all references to the Consumer Reports statement that it “can’t recommend” the iPhone 4 until the antenna issues are fixed, issues that their labs and I’ve independently confirmed on my own iPhone 4.

This isn’t the first time that Apple has had sour grapes about topics posted to their support forums. They have been known to regularly delete discussions about hardware or software flaws that Apple wasn’t ready to talk about. I’ve heard and read about Apple’s dreadful censoring habit for years when there were issues about iMacs, Powerbooks, and Mac OS X Leopard. It wasn’t until today that I saw a real example of Apple’s censorship happening to something that interested me.

I checked the forum postings that were in earlier reports and I wasn’t able to access them and received this error: “Error: you do not have permission to view the requested forum or category.” I searched the forums and found two live threads (at press time) here and here. Ironically, the first thread has disappeared only to be replaced by the error message and so far the second thread is still live, but I’m sure that won’t last very long.

Unfortunately for Apple, but luckily for us is that the Internet has a lot of wide open spaces that can be used to discuss the antenna issue that Apple does not want to admit to — so go ahead voice your comments good or bad here on Cult of Mac.

Apple will be forced to recall the iPhone 4 following Consumer Reports tests proving the “Death Grip” antenna issue is not software related, but a hardware flaw, PR experts say.

“Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” said Professor Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication. “It’s critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.”

Consumer Reports‘ conclusion that the iPhone 4 Death Grip is hardware-related is a huge blow for Apple. This isn’t something Apple can ignore — or brush off as a software problem that is easily fixed. Consumer Reportsis too big and important. Apple must respond.

But is the Death Grip a fuss about nothing? Given all the complexities of cell-phone networks, is the Death Grip something that doesn’t have much effect in day-to-day use?

[polldaddy poll=3462464]

At least one car in this year’s NYC to Las Vegas Bullrun Rally — an invitation-only rally (which the organizers claim differs from a race in that speeding is not allowed…uh, sure) in which 100 supercars race (sorry, rally) across the U.S. Cannonball-Run style —  is packing Apple tech.

Defending champs Team Wu is packing a dash-mounted iPad running Trapster’s iPad app in their officially named “Trapster Cop Car” (because it resembles a cop car) — in an effort to keep law enforcement off their backs while rallying at-or-below the speed limit in their Vortec supercharger-equipped 2010 Dodge Charger.

Of course, Trapster should also alert them to road hazards; but that’s probably not the reason the team has called Trapster their “secrat weapon.” Good luck, guys.

[via Trapster’s blog]

Does your small- or medium-sized business run on Macs? Are you a Mac IT-manager?

If so, we’ve got a new weekly feature for you: Macs at Work. Every week, we’ll answer your business-related questions, from setting up servers to running iPads in the enterprise. Macs at Work is brought to by Macuity, a Mac-focused IT consulting group located in Boston, MA.

This week, we have a question about Snow Leopard server for group calendar and contact sharing.

A federal judge greenlighted a monopoly abuse case against Apple and AT&T Inc.’s mobile phone unit, it can now move forward as a class action suit.

The June 2008 complaint took aim at locking-in iPhones for use on the  AT&T network and its control over what iPhone users can install and use on the devices.

The lawsuit also says Apple secretly made AT&T its exclusive iPhone partner in the U.S. for five years. Consumers agreed to two-year contracts but found themselves bound to a half-decade relationship with AT&T, the lawsuit argued.

Judge James Ware of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said parts of the lawsuit that deal with violations to antitrust law can continue as a class action, according to court documents filed July 8.
Anyone who bought an iPhone with a two-year AT&T agreement since the device first went on sale in June 2007 can join the class suit.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to keep Apple from selling locked iPhones in the U.S. and from determining what iPhone programs people can install. It also seeks damages to cover legal fees and other costs.

Will you join this class action suit or not?

Via AP

Last we heard, it seemed likely that the next iPod Touch would be camera-equipped with, at the bare minimum, a forward facing, video-only FaceTime camera… but due to space constraints, it didn’t look like the Touch would also gain the iPhone 4’s 5MP camera.

Today, MacRumors is following up last week’s speculation with the idea that while the 5MP camera won’t fit into the iPod Touch’s chassis, 3.2MP camera could conceivably fit… if Apple made the iPod Touch’s thickness uniform across all capacities.

Keep it secret! Keep it safe. Given Apple’s once impeccable track record of keeping their future products under wraps up until the very moment that Steve Jobs held them aloft on stage, the product-leaking Smeagol lurking around the underdark of their supply chain is really doing Cupertino a bad turn.

The latest supply-chain leak, spotted by Apple.pro, shows a tiny 1.18″ square, 3cm x 3cm touchscreen, complete with an Apple copyright branded upon the connector cable. The obvious assumption? A touchscreen iPod Shuffle, possibly as early as September.

Iomega’s new Mac Edition eGo Desktop Hard Drive packs a whopping 2-Terabytes in a compact, stylish package.

Available now for $249, the eGo drive offers plenty of connectivity options — USB 2.0 and a pair of FireWire 800 ports — making it suitable for a host of tasks, from backup to iMovie video editing.

I’ve spent the last few days glued to my iPhone watching the grand drama of the Tour de France (or “Tour-DAY-France” if you’re an ex-racer from Oakland named Bob) unfold in Europe via Versus’ Official Tour de France Live app.

A clone is a bootable backup of your Mac’s hard drive that provides redundancy for both your data and the Macintosh Operating System. Cloning is easy to do and is complementary to other backup methods like Time Machine. The ability to get up and working in minutes after a crash or system update gone awry can be a very useful thing.

Clones provide a way to rollback your Mac OS X installation.  You can keep your clone updated using synchronization software to perform incremental updates, and can use your clone to boot another Mac should the need arise.

I gawped in disbelief at this picture in the New York Times of Apple’s new store in Shanghai. At fist glance, I thought it was a special effect from a sci-fi movie. The spaceport-looking thing in the background is the Oriental Pearl Tower.

New York Times: Apple Making New Push Into China

There’s no shortage of choices available for gabbing with buddies these days, but instant messaging remains a favorite (I’ve actually worked in at least one newsroom where the primary method of communication was IM).

There’s no lack of IM iPhone apps either; but a clean interface, wealth of features, ability to connect with practically every IM service in the galaxy and availability for free makes Meebo the best of these.

The iPhone 4 videochat feature FaceTime may not be televising the revolution any time soon, but at least one pair of doctors have used it to consult on a patient who risked amputation.

In what may be the first documented iPhone 4 medical video consultation, University of Arizona surgeon David G. Armstrong, connected via FaceTime to give with Los Angeles Surgeon Lee Rogers’ a look at a patient who had undergone foot reconstruction at the University’s Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA). The virtual consult came in handy since Dr. Rogers was attending the American Diabetes Association meeting in Orlando, Florida when he took the “FaceTime” call from Armstrong, who had returned from Orlando to his SALSA clinics a day earlier.

With the release of iOS 4, Apple has erased many of the advantages competing platforms — most notably Android — had previously enjoyed. But while much noise has been made about the iPhone’s new multitasking trick, news that the iPhone can now use image recognition to create a more accurate augmented-reality experience has been far less trumpeted.

Maybe that’s because it’s not really an ability of the iPhone itself, but rather an API that Apple has made available to app developers with the release of iOS 4.

It works like this: The app uses a particular API to capture live video from the iPhone’s camera, then shunts the feed back to servers that use image-recognition software to figure out what the iPhone is looking at; the server then sends a graphic (or graphics) back to the iPhone that’s overlayed onto what the user is looking at (we’ve got instructions on how to easily demo the new tech later on in this post).

This is the iPad version of the quickie, DIY iPhone stand made from office supplies. This one isn’t made from the usual yellow No. 2 pencils but a handful of Faber-Castells —  the fittingly cultish 2001 Grip model with a triangle shape.

The makers over at Geeky Gadgets suggest using pencils with erasers to avoid scratching but note that you should extend the two pencils until there is plenty of wood to rest your device on or wrap a little tape around the metal on each to protect the edge of your iPad.

Would you use one of these to prop up your iPad in a pinch?

Via Geeky Gadgets

We have laptops and desktops but what do we call the iPad, which is neither? It’s been suggested we call it a “kneetop” because it rests on our knees. But what about thightop, tummytop, or crotchtop? Vote below, or leave new suggestions in the comments.

[polldaddy poll=3437482]

Although the iPhone 4’s reception issues get all the press attention, the iPhone 4 has another pressing issue: the tendency of the proximity sensor to misread how close your face is to the handset, which can in turn cause the touchscreen to turn on when it’s close to your face, allowing your chin or cheek the unfortunate liberty of blindly dialing or even hanging up during a call.

The proximity sensor issues are commonly theorized to be a software issue, but according to an Apple Store Genius spoken to by TUAW’s Aron Trimble, we may be looking at another design flaw.

Why? According to the Genius, Apple had to move the proximity sensor location in the iPhone 4 so that it actually points into the ear canal during a call. That means that if you have particularly glistening ear canals, light bouncing around the ear canal can mistakenly tell the proximity sensor that you’re no longer on a call.

The Genius’ recommendation on how to fix the issue? He said that you should make your calls from somewhere darker.

TUAW published a report today that included new video evidence supporting the belief that the iPhone 4 death grip is very real. I know you are probably rolling your eyes about this, since there have been many other videos covering this topic, but this time things are different. This video includes the demonstration of the iPhone 4 along with a customized field services app that clearly shows the iPhone 4 antenna problem isn’t the result of some software glitch as Apple claims.

Prince is one of the most played musicians in my library,but I can’t buy any of his newer albums on iTunes: he won’t license his music to Apple. Why? According to a new interview, it’s because the “Internet is over” and iPod and iPhones fill our heads with malevolent “numbers.”

“The internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it,” Prince said in an interview with the Daily Mirror.

“The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

This, of course, is typical nuttiness from The Formerly Known Formerly Known Artist: Prince, who is also a big believer in chemtrails and, as described by Kevin Smith, has some very curious opinions about the appropriation of both camels and women for a God-loving Christian’s personal use.

But all can be forgiven for “Sign ‘O’ The Times.” I think I’ll go listen to it on my evil, number-spurting iPod now.